Native Plants
Q. Who is Mr. Smarty Plants?
A: There are those who suspect Wildflower Center volunteers are the culpable and capable culprits. Yet, others think staff members play some, albeit small, role. You can torture us with your plant questions, but we will never reveal the Green Guru's secret identity.
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Smarty Plants Question Topics
Ask Mr. Smarty Plants is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.
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| Are Chickasaw plums evergreen? August 13, 2014 Are Chickasaw Plums evergreens? I've been very interested in planting a few but some websites say they are evergreens while others say the opposite. Furthermore, would I have to plant a male and fema... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Is Viburnum rufidulum monoecious or dioecious? July 28, 2014 Is Viburnum rufidulum monoecious or dioecious? Your database does not address this for most plants. View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| The Designation of Annual and Perennial Plants July 25, 2014 Sometimes when researching a plant I will find it listed as both annual and perennial. I understand that some plants will be perennial in a warm climate and die in a colder zone, but it is still a per... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Mountain laurel with fasciation July 24, 2014 My Texas Mountain Laurel bush has developed several "crested branches." What causes this, is it harmful & how do I get rid of them??? Thank you! View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Purple leatherflower with white bloom July 17, 2014 A couple of years ago at the wildflower center native plant sale I bought a purple leatherflower according to the tag. This is the first year it has bloomed and the blooms are pure white. The shape ma... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Forum for reporting rare plants July 05, 2014 Hi Mr. Smarty Pants, I was wondering if there is a forum for Texans to submit sightings of native plants they find? I live in Medina County and 2 years ago had a rare native plant growing in my yard ... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Taxonomy question concerning the Family Commelinaceae June 17, 2014 Hi I have a question. Many people refer to plants differently, I have always used the Genus and species and rarely the family name..it is very confusing .. when a professional uses a name that is a co... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Key for Verbesina virginica June 16, 2014 Are the stems of Verbesina virginica hairy? My in-laws have what I believe is Verbesina virginica (blooms in September here in VA) and another wild flower that blooms before it and is yellow. I'd l... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer |  | |
| Define monoculture from St. Croix Falls, WI May 30, 2014 What do you call a dense stand or carpet of one species of wildflower? Our botany professor told us but that was 40 years ago! View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
| Should Rock Harlequin stay green all winter? May 28, 2014 I have a rock harlequin that came up in a area that had been disturbed. It came up last summer/fall and the foliage survived our tough winter. I can not find anything about this plant staying green al... View Mr. Smarty Plants' Answer | ||
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